1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement to a level winder for a reel of a fishing rod.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a fishing line guide member of a conventional level winder for a reel of a fishing rod, the line is let out through a line guide hole in the line guide member while the line is being payed out, and the frictional resistance generated when the line passes through the guide hole increases and hinders the paying out of the line. As a result, the performance of the reel when casting a lure at a distance is reduced, and it is difficult to cast the lure to a predetermined point accurately.
A known level winder of this kind has been designed with a view to eliminating these inconveniences, it is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 21,220/1965. In this level winder, a line guide member consisting of right and left line guide arms and a slidable element is so formed that the guide arms can be separated from the slidable element, and a line guide hole is adapted to be opened while paying out lines, so that the frictional resistance due to the guide hole is thereby reduced.
When the right and left line guide arms of this device are separated from the slidable element, the guide arms are ready to move freely along guide rods. The guide arms are moved by the tensile force in the line, so that the line guide hole is opened. However, when the lure is cast, the reel is not kept precisely horizontal but is continuously tilting in the longitudinal and lateral directions. Therefore, the two line guide arms move along the guide rods unstably, under their own weight or the inertial force thereof, and come into contact with the line which is being payed out, and thereby generate frictional resistance.
In the level winder of this system, the operation of separating the line guide arms and the slidable element, so that the guide arms move reciprocally in the lateral direction, from each other must be carried out by directly turning the slidable element by hand. This means that the paying out of the line is complicated and troublesome. Moreover, if the slidable element is turned by mistake while winding in the line, the line guide arms are separated, so that the line cannot be guided. The engagement of the guide arms with the slidable element for the winding of the line is done by bringing a traverse cam shaft and the slidable element into frictional contact with each other. Therefore, when the device has been used for a long period of time, the portions of these parts in frictional contact become worn, and extraneous matter such as seawater is deposited on these portions. As a result, a sufficiently high frictional force can not be generated. This hampers the engagement of the guide arms with the slidable element, so that the operation of the device becomes unreliable.